Close-Up on Photographs and Family Papers

Overwhelmed by your photograph collection and family papers? Looking for tips on how to preserve it? SHSMO's associate director Lucinda Adams will provide an introduction to caring for photographs and family papers. Topics include organizing and storing collections, basic preservation, and managing family materials. This session is suitable for caretakers of historic photograph collections as well as those who want to learn how to best keep their contemporary photographs for future generations. The program, hosted by the Grand River Historical Society Museum in conjunction with the Livingston County Library, will be held in the library's second floor courtroom. Register by calling the Livingston Public Library at 660.646.0547. Free parking is available behind the building.

Missouri 2021: Making the Most of the Bicentennial

August 10, 2021, will mark the 200th anniversary of Missouri's entry into the United States as its 24th state. Join SHSMO's Michael Sweeney as he discusses what plans are in place and how you can join in the commemoration of the Show-Me State right now. The program will highlight how all Missourians can and should play a fundamental role in helping their communities make the most of this occasion, which brings together rural and urban regions in projects, programs, and events contributing to a better understanding of the state and its complex heritage.

Hosted by the Randolph County Historical Society and the Moberly Area Chamber of Commerce

Local History Fair

Explore the history of your community and learn how you can participate in the celebration of Missouri’s Bicentennial in 2021 at the St. Louis County Library’s local history fair. SHSMO’s senior archivist Claire P. Marks and bicentennial coordinator Michael Sweeney will be onsite to answer your questions about State Historical Society programs and services. For more information, contact the St. Louis County Library at 314.994.3300, ext. 2070 or genealogy@slcl.org.

Preserving Historical Documents

Join SHSMO’s conservator Erin Kraus and the University of Missouri Extension in Grundy County for a workshop on the preservation of historical documents. Participants will learn how to clean, repair, and preserve a range of materials to maximize their life span. Kraus will provide sample documents to clean or participants may bring their own. A $40 registration fee enables participants to leave with a supply kit to take home. Reserve your seat today at 660.357.6580.

Benton's Perilous Visions Grand Opening

After the United States entered World War II, Missouri artist Thomas Hart Benton responded to the national crisis by working through his thoughts and emotions on canvas. Executed between 1941 and 1944, the works in the Benton's Perilous Visions exhibition manifest the anxiety, horror, grief, and resolve that Benton and his audience experienced during the war. Join SHSMO in the main gallery of the Columbia center to explore ten of Benton's paintings and their allegorical images, visions of events that came to fruition, and expression of fears that thankfully were never realized on US soil.

Schoolcraft in the Old Ozarks

It was almost 200 years ago that New Yorker Henry Rowe Schoolcraft and his companion Levi Pettibone launched a memorable journey into the wild and mostly unsettled region now called the Ozarks. In "Schoolcraft in the Old Ozarks," Brooks Blevins, Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies at Missouri State University, will discuss the region—the Old Ozarks—as Schoolcraft and other early travelers found it two centuries ago. Blevins will also sign copies of his new book, A History of the Ozarks, Volume 1: The Old Ozarks, published by the University of Illinois Press.

Sponsored by SHSMO, the Springfield–Greene County Library District, Missouri State University Libraries, and the Missouri State University Ozarks Studies Institute

Family Fun Fest

The September Family Fun Fest is right around the corner! Enjoy entertainment for the entire family with music, food trucks, live performances, art activities, and hands-on learning. SHSMO is teaming up with ParentLink for this FREE event, so make sure to stop by our booth. Kids will learn about Historic Missourians and have the chance to share how they will make their mark on history.

Make History: Be Part of National History Day

Join SHSMO for an evening of films, exhibits, and stories. Learn how you can uncover history as you take part in the National History Day competition by producing a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance or website. Your project may earn you a visit to the University of Missouri or Washington, DC. This event, recommended for ages 10 and older, will be held in the Children’s Program Room at the Daniel Boone Regional Library headquarters.

Best Practices in History Education Conference

This conference, hosted by the Missouri Council for History Education, invites teachers to discover new ways to strengthen their classroom, including through the National History Day in Missouri program. A session by SHSMO's Maggie Mayhan and Mark Adams of the Truman Library will share tips that have helped the Kansas City area grow into one of the strongest NHD regions in the state. (In 2017 they had two of five senior gold medals at nationals!)

2018 Ste. Genevieve History Conference

The Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve's Fall History Conference offers a variety of educational sessions for those interested in Missouri history and culture. SHSMO president Bob Priddy will provide two talks, "Let He Who Is Without a Quarry Throw the First Stone–Rebuilding the Missouri Capitol" and "Center for Missouri Studies and the Missouri Bicentennial." Registration is required at a cost of $50 per person. Visit the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve's website for details, or contact the Foundation at ffrsg@att.net or 573.883.9622.

Museum Day

Celebrate the annual Smithsonian Museum Day with a family event hosted by MU's Museum of Art and Archaeology at Mizzou North. Numerous interactive experiences will be provided by local cultural institutions. Families can learn more about their community and the arts all in one place!

National History Day Workshop

Ready to kick off the 2019 National History Day season? Join Truman Library's education director—and Kansas City area regional coordinator—Mark Adams for this FREE workshop. You'll have a chance to unpack the 2019 Triumph and Tragedy in History theme, explore great project resources, and have a chance to ask your questions. Plus, Riley Sutherland will be presenting her silver medal-winning performance! We look forward to welcoming teachers and students to this informative and interactive session. Please register by emailing mark.adams@nara.gov.

Center for Missouri Studies Fall Lecture and Luncheon

Register now for the 2018 Center for Missouri Studies Fall Lecture and Luncheon. Acclaimed author Caroline Fraser will present a program based on her 2018 Pulitzer Prize–winning biography, Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

In a review of the book for the New York Times, Patricia Nelson Limerick, director of the University of Colorado's Center of the American West, wrote, "For anyone who has drifted into thinking of Wilder's 'Little House' books as relics of a distant and irrelevant past, reading Prairie Fires will provide a lasting cure." Fraser's talk will follow SHSMO's annual business meeting and luncheon.

Preserving Your Family History

Need to know what to do with all of your photographs, letters, documents, scrapbooks, and audio and visual materials? Join the Historical Society of Maries County and archivists from the State Historical Society of Missouri's Rolla Research Center to look at how to preserve and maintain digital and physical content. This will include photographs, documents, and audio files among others. Learn tips and tricks on how best to preserve your memories and information.

Beginning Genealogy

Researching family history can be daunting for someone who is just getting started. Join SHSMO's senior archivist Kathleen Seale at the Scenic River Library–Owensville for tested advice on how to make the most of your early genealogy research. She will offer ideas for how to get started and discuss important resources that are available—both inside and outside of SHSMO's abundant collections.

Educator Workshop: Using Digital and Material Collections in Your Classroom

This workshop is designed for educators who are intrigued by the idea of using Missouri's primary sources in their classroom but are not sure where to start. SHSMO senior archivist Kathleen Seale and Maggie Mayhan, National History Day in Missouri coordinator, will provide tips for finding effective resources within SHSMO's vast collections—without leaving your school. Please RSVP for this free session. Attendees will be offered a parking pass. To guarantee parking pass delivery, please register prior to October 25. This event will be held in Room 202 at the Missouri University of Science and Technology's Curtis Laws Wilson Library, which houses SHSMO's Rolla center.

Cape Girardeau County Historical Society Autumn Banquet

Join SHSMO's associate director William R. Eddleman for his keynote address at the Cape Girardeau County Historical Society Autumn Banquet. Eddleman will share insights into early Cape County history, including details about two of Cape's founding families, the Lorimiers and Rodneys. A $35 registration is required. Contact the Cape Girardeau County Historical Society for details at 573.979.5170.

Educator Workshop: Using Digital and Material Collections in Your Classroom

This workshop is designed for educators who are intrigued by the idea of using Missouri's primary sources in their classroom but are not sure where to start. SHSMO senior archivist Claire P. Marks and Maggie Mayhan, National History Day in Missouri coordinator, will provide tips for finding effective resources within SHSMO's vast collections—without leaving your school. Please RSVP for this free session. Attendees will be offered a parking pass. To guarantee parking pass delivery, please register prior to November 1. This event will be held in Instruction Room 315 at the University of Missouri–St. Louis's Thomas Jefferson Library, which houses SHSMO's St. Louis center.